Study Desk

The Lord will roar from Zionand make his voice heard from Jerusalem;heaven and earth will shake.But the Lord will be a refuge for his people,a stronghold for the Israelites.

I will pardon their bloodguilt,which I have not pardoned,for the Lord dwells in Zion.

I have known only youout of all the clans of the earth;therefore, I will punish you for all your iniquities.

Does a bird land in a trap on the groundif there is no bait for it?Does a trap spring from the groundwhen it has caught nothing?

I will punish the altars of Bethelon the day I punish Israel for its crimes;the horns of the altar will be cut offand fall to the ground.

Offer leavened bread as a thank offering,and loudly proclaim your freewill offerings,for that is what you Israelites love to do!

Listen to this message that I am singing for you, a lament, house of Israel:

For the Lord God says:

For the Lord says to the house of Israel:

Do not seek Bethelor go to Gilgalor journey to Beer-sheba,for Gilgal will certainly go into exile,and Bethel will come to nothing.

For I know your crimes are manyand your sins innumerable.They oppress the righteous, take a bribe,and deprive the poor of justice at the city gates.

Therefore, those who have insight will keep silentat such a time,for the days are evil.

There will be wailing in all the vineyards,for I will pass among you.The Lord has spoken.

Woe to you who long for the day of the Lord!What will the day of the Lord be for you?It will be darkness and not light.

But you have taken up Sakkuth your king and Kaiwan your star god, images you have made for yourselves.

For the Lord commands:

The Lord God showed me this: The Lord God was calling for a judgment by fire. It consumed the great deep and devoured the land.

for Amos has said this: ‘Jeroboam will die by the sword, and Israel will certainly go into exile from its homeland.’”

but don’t ever prophesy at Bethel again, for it is the king’s sanctuary and a royal temple.”

We can buy the poor with silverand the needy for a pair of sandalsand even sell the chaff!”